Stories of Spirits

By Teresa Garcia

Five short stories of dragon spirits and ancestors, in a Japanese milleau. Some are set in ancient times, others are more modern. Each short story that has new vocabulary has a mini-glossary of Japanese terms that were utilized.

Includes:
Ancestors
Dragon Dance
So Close, So Far
Dark and Light
Watcher

• Language: English
• Publisher: THG StarDragon Publishing
• Release date: Sep 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301793532

Teresa Garcia

Teresa Garcia (once Teresa Huddleston-Garcia) is a 30-something mother of two children with special needs, raising them "alone" in the small mountain town of McCloud, CA. Just because she is on her own though, does not mean that she is "alone." Many thanks are due to the McCloud Community Resource Center, to her brother and his family, and her mother, for all their help. She loves to text role play, write stories, hike, paint, meditate, and play games or read with her kids. She also writes quests for, and helps to maintain, the online browser-based RPG Dragon Hearts. As Amehana, Teresa volunteers time for the Trotsdale Public Library in Second Life. She was raised in another mountain community, which she visits as often as she can spare time and gas, though not nearly often enough for her wishes. Her parents always encouraged her writing and artistic talents. In 2005, she decided to pick up the dream of writing and publishing a novel once more, having shelved that (and the "Shadow Chronicles" manuscript) in her early college years due to the time constraints of motherhood at the time. In 2006 she released to the public her first novel in the "Dragon Shaman" series, "Taming the Blowing Wind," and has since published a second book in the series and a poetry book. She likes to deal with multicultural themes because of her own background. Currently Teresa has several manuscripts to work on, such as her "Dragon Shaman" series of novels and her current favorite serialized story, "Selkies' Skins." She is also currently narrating "The Ian's Realm Saga" trilogy by DL Gardner, expected to be available April 2018. Teresa writes short stories for children in the Adventures of Lightning the Cat series. Her other titles are intended for more advanced readers. Her personal blog is located at http://rainstardragon.livejournal.com You can check out what she has available for her patrons at her Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/Amehana In addition to finding her in print on Lulu, she can be found at Amazon Author Central. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009Q938VE

Book preview

Stories of Spirits:

A collection of short stories

By Teresa Garcia

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people, unless you are buying it as a gift for them. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2012 Teresa Garcia

Shorts written 2007 through 2008

Original Cover by Teresa Garcia

Contents

Ancestors

Dragon Dance

So Close, So Far

Dark and Light

Watcher

About the Author

~*~

Ancestors

A crisp wind blew through the trees, stirring leaves slowly changing from green to russet and scarlet glory, a splash of gold here and there catching the eye for a moment. The grounds were simple, a small pile of stones currently the only marker denoting this meadow from the other meadows on the mountain side. A small stream could be heard beyond the line of trees, tumbling down softly.

In the distance, the clouds filling the sky had opened to reveal a small gate of blue into the High Plain of the Heavens. Below those clouds, the Plain of the Sea lay in a silver blanket, somewhere below that lurked the Sea Palace, and beyond the sea lay Tokoyo.

The sounds of nature were broken by a pulse of sound, followed by another, a pitiful imitation of thunder. Yet, it served to attract attention.

It’s time… They seemed to say, pulling on the spirits dwelling in this village of the dead. Come home…

Small orbs rose from the ground and the marker, the little tama all glowing softly with their own light as they floated in a dreamy procession down the path through the forest to the village that they had once occupied. Unseen to the living occupants, the ancestors hovered silently among their children, gathering around the places where the offerings had been left.

While the chants rang out over the village, the year’s Toya carefully pronouncing the words, the ancestors fed upon the vapors from the delicious food and extended their blessings over the village.

But Mama, I don’t see grandma… a small voice plaintively whispered, wide brown eyes turned upward in confusion to the soft face above him.

Hush now… You have to look with your heart, not your eyes. Everyone is here with us now, they come when we call…

But I want to see Grandma…

One of the iridescent orbs floated closer to the little boy, hovering softly just before his face at eye level, still unseen. Around the mother and child, the village still continued in its greetings to the visitors from the Otherworld.

Maybe you will see her tonight in your dreams, my son. The mother cooed softly, the orb wavering still where she was. "But Grandma is with us, and our